


We've Been Here Before

by elementarydearmy



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, M/M, Mentions of Boruto and Sarada, Mutual Pining, One Shot, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 16:27:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17206868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elementarydearmy/pseuds/elementarydearmy
Summary: Just because you want something, doesn't make it so. Sasuke and Naruto know that better than anyone.





	We've Been Here Before

            The sun has long since set by the time Sasuke arrives in Konoha. Once he passes the village’s protective walls he allows muscle memory to propel his steps along the familiar path to the Hokage’s residence. Bypassing the doors and Anbu guards he leaps through the window of the building’s office, landing gracefully next to massive desk that takes up most of the room. The desk, at which, Naruto currently sits slumped over asleep on top of various documents.

            Knowing that no one is there to see, Sasuke lets a fond smile slip through his normally stoic features. The blond is obviously exhausted, with darks circles marring the tan skin under his eyes, and Sasuke is reluctant to wake him. However, in his unconscious state, Naruto must be able to sense his chakra presence because he startles awake, muttering unintelligibly as his gaze darts around the room, trying to find the source of the disturbance.

            “Is being Hokage so boring that it’s putting you to sleep now, dobe?” Sasuke says, when the blond’s gaze finally finds him.

            “Sasuke?” Naruto says, his voice still thick with sleep. He blinks confusedly, seeming to process what is seeing before his face splits into a wide grin. “Sasuke!”

            Sasuke suddenly finds himself being pulled forward for a hug, and lets himself fold into the sensation, wrapping his arms around the other man in return. It’s been so long since he’s touched a person outside of a battle, that it feels almost alien to hold another close like this. It sends a warm feeling through his chest, that he tries desperately to ignore. Eventually, Naruto draws away, but still clutches Sasuke’s shoulders as if to keep him from escaping.

            “I can’t believe you’re here! It’s been forever! What finally brought you back?” He asks, and Sasuke shrugs, disappointed when the motion dislodges Naruto’s hold on him.

            “Sarada is starting at the academy soon. I thought I should come see how she’s doing.” It’s a simple answer, with practiced casualness, but Naruto nods along with it.

            “Yes, Boruto is starting this year too. I still can’t believe how big he’s gotten. I swear just yesterday he was this small.” Naruto says gesturing with his hands, and grinning at his friend, “Well, anyways was Sakura as surprised to see you as I was, or did you tell her you were coming ahead of time for once?”

            “I wouldn’t know. I haven’t seen her yet.” He says.

            An expression that Sasuke can’t quite gauge flickers across Naruto’s features. His eyebrows furrow, and his lips purse, but he doesn’t look angry so much as reluctant.

            “What do you mean you haven’t see her yet? If the whole point of your visit was to see Sarada why wouldn’t you stop by to see her?”

            Sasuke moves to lean against the Hokage’s desk, trying to feign an air of nonchalance. “I came to see you first.”

            Colour flushes across Naruto’s cheeks, “Why would you do that?” He says.

            “You know why.”  

           Naruto doesn’t meet his gaze, instead he reaches out to fiddle with a pile of papers on his desk. “You know Sakura still talks a lot about you. I bet she would be really happy if you stopped by, or something. She’d probably even take you back if you asked her.”

           There’s a heavy pause, and the blond continues to shuffle things around on his desk, but in the process sends a teetering stack of files at the edge toppling over. He curses, and reaches forward to begin frantically cleaning them up when Sasuke reaches out a hand to still him. When Naruto refuses to meet his gaze Sasuke shifts his hand under the other’s chin to tilt his face upward. With some reluctance, Naruto follows the gesture until his blue eyes are locked on Sasuke’s.

           “I don’t want Sakura.” Sasuke whispers.

_I want you,_ hangs heavy between them.

            “Sasuke…” Naruto says it so quietly it sounds like a sigh.

            In his chest Sasuke’s heart clenches painfully, because he knows what the other man will say, what he always says. He takes the briefest moment to revel in their closeness, to feel the heat of the other man’s skin underneath his palm. He memorizes the way Naruto’s eyes trail longingly across his face, pausing to stare heavy-lidded at Sasuke’s lips as if he’s thinking about kissing him. He takes a deep breath, then another, and prepares for the impact.

            “Sasuke…I-I can’t.”

            He lets his hand drop from Naruto’s face and pulls away.

            “We’ve talked about this,” The blond says, standing up and turning away, “Hinata and the kids. I couldn’t do that to them. I won’t.”

            Although, the words are familiar, the pain of them strikes as if new every time. Sasuke turns away as Naruto collects the files still laying on the floor, and tries to ignore the prickling heat under his eyelids that threatens to spill over.

            Behind him, he can hear the other man dropping the papers onto the desk, “I care about them, Sasuke. I won’t hurt them like that.”

            “What about us?” Sasuke hisses, “I know you, Naruto. I know you want this just as much as I do. Why do we have to be the ones that suffer? Why do I-“

            He cuts himself off, because his voice is beginning to tremble. Trying to gather some sense of control he clenches his fist so hard that his nails dig into his palm with pinpricks of pain. He hears the other man approach him, but is still startled when a warm hand grabs his own, peeling back his fingers one by one to reveal small cuts like crescent moons, carved into his hand. It’s Naruto’s flesh and blood that holds his own. His fingers calloused and warn by years of fighting and training, are gentle as they trail over the marks.

            “We are the ones to suffer, because we can take it, Sasuke. We always have been.” The warm hand trails up his arm and around his chest, pulling him in until his back is flush with Naruto’s front. The blond rests his chin on Sasuke’s shoulder, and moves his hand up until it’s splayed over Sasuke’s chest, feeling the erratic beat of his heart.

            “Haven’t we suffered enough?” Sasuke asked, letting his hand rest over Naruto’s.

            “Yes,” He replied, “But after what we’ve been through, this is just a drop in the ocean. I think we can bear to take a little bit more.”

            Neither of them knows how long they stay like that, silently holding one another in the Hokage’s office. However long it is, it isn’t long enough. It never is. Eventually, Sasuke is the first to draw away whispering the three words they both feel but never say. He turns, without waiting for the other’s reply and leaps out the window in one fluid motion, hitting the ground silently, stories below. Naruto, watches him walk away until his figure is indistinguishable in the darkness of the village, and he whispers the words in return as Sasuke disappears. 


End file.
